Headlines and stories providing anecdotal examples of data center downtime caused by various power quality (PQ)-related events abound. Even Justin Timberlake (see figure 1) tweeted in frustration after one well-known web hosting company went down, “… just went down completely. Gonna be a bit longer than 5 minutes.” Today, everyone recognizes the importance of accessibility to the information and web sites. The mission is to be up 7x24, providing anything less can make news.
With the high cost of energy it’s understandable that data center operators are trying to shave recurring expenses, such as energy. Incorporating alternative energy sources such as wind and solar make for good corporate citizens, but availability needs to remain the primary focus.